Cigarette case



April 1 1924. 1,488,913

F. A. FULLER CIGARETTE CASE Filed March 22. 1923 VENTOR M 42% I ia Maw ATTORNEY ilO Patented Apr. 1, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,488,913 PATENT OFFlCE FRANZ A. FULLER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE J. E. MERGOTT 00.,

0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CIGARETTE CASE.

Application filed March 22, 1923. erial No. 626,731.

To all 1N1 om it m (13 concern.

Be it known that I, FRANZ A. FULLER, a citizen of the United States. and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful lmproven'ients in Cigarette Cases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in containers for carrying cigarettes and like articles and has as one of its objects to provide a neat and attractive case so arran ed as to fully protect the cigarettes, holding them against movement when the case is closed and thus preventing injury while being carried in the pocket.

Another purpose is to produce a case from which a single cigarette can be extracted without disturbing the remainder and without contact by the fingers.

A further aim is in the provision of a case composed wholly of two parts, avoiding springs and other extraneous elements of any nature whatever.

These several aims, objects and purposes are accomplished by the novel design, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a cigarette case made in accordance with the invention, the same being in an open position and illustrating its application.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same.

Figure 3 is a similar view of the same but showing the case in a closed position.

In cases for like purposes it is customary to hold the cigarettes loosely allowing them to move freely whereby the finer particles of the tobacco may drop out and, when nearly empty, the cigarettes assume positions at various angles one to another, that interferes with convenient handling.

Occasionally concavely grooved plates are used to maintain the cigarettes in proper position, such plates increasing the expense of the case and adding to its weight.

Other expedients, as spring arms, elastic bands and similar devices, increasing the cost and inconvenient to operate, have also been tried with indifferent success.

It has therefore been the principal object to avoid such cumbersome and unsatisfactory devices by providing a case comprised of only two simple parts, co-operating to produce a case of unusual merit and convenience in operation.

The main portion or bottom 5 of the case or box is stamped from sheet metal of suitable thickness, integral with like sides 6, upturned front 7 and curved back 8.

This back member 8 is bent to extend partially over the rear of the case, towards the front, as at 9, and formed with a downwardly ofi'set ledge or stepped element 10 at its front edge.

The cover or lid 11 is also composed of a fiat metallic plate having a down-turned front member 12 and a pair of sides 13, relatively narrow along the main portion of their length, the same blending into wider, rearwardly extending elements 14 having rounded outer edges and adapted, together with the sides, to fit neatly over the corresponding side members 6 of the case body.

Passing centrally through the members 14 and the sides 6 are tubular rivets 15 acting as hinge pins on which the cover turns, their relation to the sides being such that the cover plate element 12 will make intimate contact with the front 7 of the case when closed thereover.

It is to be noted that the element 9 of the case is normally above the top edges of the sides 6, so that when the cover is fully raised its straight rear edge 11 is in con tact with it, and that the parts are so proportioned that when the cover is closed, the undersurface of the cover makes contact and depresses the ledge 10 so as to present a substantially level outer surface throughout, the depth of the offset'being equal to the thickness of the cover plate material.

In order to hold the cover in a closed position, indentations 16 may be made in the front 7 and corresponding projections 17 in cover element 12 are adapted to spring into and engagethe depressions.

An outturned edge 18 may be formed on the cover element 12 to facilitate raising the cover when the case is closed;

However the engaging and releasing means are intended to be suggestive rather than restrictive, it being obvious that other devices for accomplishing the same purposes may be used.

In the front 7 of the case, adjacent one of the sides, or otherwise as may be preferred, is a cut-out 19 through which one of the cigarettes 20 may freely pass, and if desired a similar cut-out or recess 21, as shown in the broken lines, may also be used.

In operation, this lid or cover is raised at substantially a right angle to the body of the case, this act relieving the elements 9 and 10, permitting them to spring up, due to the natural resiliency of the material used, and the cigarettes inserted so that their inner ends project below the cover por tions 9 and 10, until the case is filled, the cigarettes being freely inserted, clear of these elements. 7

When the cover is closed the edge 11' enters the corresponding portion of the lowered edge 10 and presses it down upon the ends of the cigarettes, clamping the same and preventing their movement.

When a cigarette is to be removed it will be apparent the cover must be raised, which act frees the cigarettes, allowng them to roll towards the side adjacent the opening 19 and then by further obvious manipulation of the case, one will slide out, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1, the remainder being retained by the front wall 7 of the case.

Although the foregoing is descriptive of the preferred embodiment of the invention, it Wlll be apparent that minor changes may be made in its construction, without the exercise of invention or conflicting with the scope of the claims hereto appended.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. A cigarette case comprising a box having a resilient element formed with the rear wall to extend partially over the box, a cover hinged to the side walls below said element, and means on said element actuated by closing said cover for clamping cigarettes in the box.

2. A cigarette case comprising a box having an apertured front wall, a cover hingedly engaged to said box, and a resilient element extending inwardly from the rear wall of said box below said coveradapted to clamp cigarettes in the box upon closing said cover.

3. A cigarette case comprising a box having a partial spring cover integral therewith, a cover hingedly engaged thereover to cover the remainder of the box, means actuated by said hinged cover for depressing said spring cover to cause it to clamp cigarettes in said box, and means for normally retainin said hinged cover in closed position, sai box presenting level surfaces when so closed.

4. A ci arette case comprising a box having raise side and front walls, said front wall having one or more openings through which a cigarette may pass, a raised rear wall having a forwardly reaching extension covering a portion of the box, a cover plate hingedly engaged with the side walls of said box over said extension and capable of depressing the samewhen the cover is closed, and means for holding said cover when in a closed'position.

5. A cigarette case comprising a box having a resilient element formed with the rear wall to extend arti'ally over the box, and a cover hinged to the side walls below said element, designed to depress the same when the'cover is closed.

6. A cigarette case comprising a box having an integral resilient partial cover at the rear, a cover pivoted to the side walls of said box over its integral cover element, a down-stepped portion formed with said element along its front edge adapted to receive and be depressed by the rear edge of said pivoted cover, and an element formed with said pivoted cover adapted to overlie the front wall of said box, said front wall containing one or more apertures through which a, cigarette may be passed.

7 A ci arette case comprising a box having raised walls on each of its four sides, its front wall having an aperture, a spring cover formed with the rear wall extending partially over the box and normally raised thereabove, said cover havinga downwardly offset portion along its front edge, a cover pivotally engaged to the side walls of said box, said cover having a part adapted to fit said offset portion and depress the same when closed, and means for retaining said cover when in a closed position.

8. A cigarette case comprising a box having an apertured front. wall, a resilient element formed therewith overlying a portion of the box, said element having a depressed portion at its free edge, a cover hingedly engaged to the sides of said box below said element and capable of fitting into said depressed portion when closed, means in the front wall of said box to prevent the extraction of more than one cigarette at a time, means for holdin said cover when closed, and means on sai cover for causing said depressed portion of the resilient cover element to make contact with cigarettes in said box.

This specification signed and witnessed this 21st day of March, 1923.

FRANZ A. FULLER. Witnesses:

FREDK C. Freeman, A. B. UNDERHILL. 

